Diarrhea

Exams and Tests

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms, including:

How long you have had the symptoms

How severe your pain is

How often it occurs

How long it lasts

How often you have diarrhea

Whether you have been traveling

The health care provider can diagnose colitis by inserting a flexible tube into the rectum (flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) and evaluating specific areas of the colon. Biopsies taken during these tests may show changes related to inflammation.

Sigmoidoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy is a procedure used to see inside the sigmoid colon and rectum.

Prevention

Ulcerative colitis - illustration

Ulcerative colitis is categorized according to location:Proctitis involves only the rectumProctosigmoiditis affects the rectum and sigmoid colonLeft-sided colitis encompasses the entire left side of the large intestinePancolitis inflames the entire colon

Ulcerative colitis

illustration

Large intestine - illustration

The large intestine (colon) absorbs most of the fluid from foods.

Large intestine

illustration

Ulcerative colitis - illustration

Ulcerative colitis is categorized according to location:Proctitis involves only the rectumProctosigmoiditis affects the rectum and sigmoid colonLeft-sided colitis encompasses the entire left side of the large intestinePancolitis inflames the entire colon